Will Dallas' Return be a Success for the Franchise?

Melrose Place tried it. Beverly Hills 90210 succeeded. Degrassi: The Next Generation started the trend. One may call it a remake, one may call it a revamp, but in reality these shows simply just continued on the original storyline. Dallas returns to TV in June on TNT following suit with a whole new cast, and a few familiar faces.

The story follows the Ewing family, just as the original did. Bobby Ewing is re-married and his song Christopher is trying to make the Ewing family develop a more eco-friendly method away from oil. J.R.’s son, John Ross, has other ideas for the family business. "[The script] honored all of the intricate elements of what Dallas was in the past, and basically, we've dropped back in 20 years later," executive producer Michael M. Robin told TV Guide. "The storytelling elements are similar."

What writers have ultimately done is modernized a story. Fans loved the show when it originally aired, and the story’s not complete. As long as writer tie in original factors and storylines without tinkering with them, the drama has potential to succeed. Not only will original Dallas fans tune in to see what families are up to, but a new generation will bond with the Ewings.

Producers can’t stress enough that it’s not a remake of the original. "I couldn't imagine making a remake. We've seen it. There were 357 episodes," Dallas executive producer Cynthia Cidre told reporters at the TNT winter preview party. "It just seemed natural to catch up with Ewing family 20 years later."

Degrassi succeeded because it modernized the problems and caught up with Emma who fans last saw as a toddler in Degrassi High. 90210 is still going strong because it keeps intertwining storylines with Kelly, Dylan and the Walshes while focusing on the new students. Melrose Place failed because fans could not relate to the new cast and wanted more of the original cast making an appearance.